Ridecamp: [RC] Comments on the IAHA ride- LC Reply

Well I guess after a hundred posts I cant keep too quite.
I have been with the 'big dogs and horses'  over the past years. As a
personal crew and support personal.
I also use to condition with Val K
way back in the 'oldie' days .. part of what I learned was - the horse
has a job to do, that is what I pay him for.
They learn to do what is asked. They get cared for - I wont cause any
harm - most of the time- and I fix him up if something does go wrong.
He must go on - trusting that I will care for him as required.. no
whining.
If they dont cut it at MY DESIRED level of performance - the
work  or job description, then I CHANGE IT to one he can manage
OR - Get another horse.

Look at this trot out issue we see, tired want to quit horse wont
trot, that may be so, but he has to trot it part of the JD, so we train for that
response, after every work at home- we do a trot out before he goes
back.. the trot is part of the job. (NOW this does assume I have not
wrecked him)

They learn to work under all types of stress .. an example -  let them
run a bit depleted of elytes during a conditioning ride, I do not
normally give eyltes in the conditioning process. I do not normally
wash off at all water spots. When riding with Val  you leave the
sponge at home. They have to get use to the worst case situations.
It makes them strong to do the major tasks we ask of them.  ( and
anyway - you are not allowed much time at the water spots, the horses
learns to drink NOW and get going.)

>From what I have learned - 100 mile horses running at world class speed
hit at least 3 'walls'  Wall 1 at 45 - 50 and wall 2 at 75 - 80.
Depending on the trails and all other conditions they hit one again
close to the end.. but that one is short.
They learn to internalize and take care of them self, the astute WC
rider knows that and will go along with the horse.
A horse that looks poor at one point will look dazzling 2 miles down
the trail or 1/2 after the finish
This level of completion is run so very close to the edge, these horses
go for a 100 miles at 100% plus, that is what they are conditioned,
trained and 'paid' to do.

I have seen this in the 50 milers with my horses. I back off when they
need to re-group. I also  -as  many others do-  equate this wall thing to
the lowering of glycogen and glucose. Of course the WC riders are
doing what that horse needs to keep the systems up to speed.  So do I-
at our level.

The post from Linda Cowles is 100 percent on target and as Steph has
said -- about the best paper on the subject, that one is a keeper

>  Someone else can have my soap box now... Bye!
> 
>   Linda Cowles
>   Horse 'N Hound

 I like your brand of soap .. thanks

 Roger Rittenhouse



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

 If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the Director at Large 
 and By Laws Elections.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=